Educational Policy and Inequality

• What is the aim of educational policies?

  1. Raise the quality and standard of education

  2. Reduce inequalities between different social groups
• What was the Forster Act?

  1870

  introduced compulsory primary schools aged 5 - 11 to create a better educated workforce.
• The butler education act

  1944

  created compulsory secondary schools and brought in the tripartite system. Secondary school was based of whether you passed the 11+ or not. Tutoring was available but very expensive
• What was the tripartite system?

  Grammar schools- those who passed the 11+ gained access to sixth form and university

  Secondary modern - those who failed the 11+ more practical and vocational skills

  Technical schools - 2-3 % children attended schools focused on scientific, engineering, mechanical skills
• How did the 11+ reproduce class inequality

  Upper class can pay for tutors

  Uniform and extracurricular are very expensive
• How did the 11+ reproduce ethnicity inequality

  English may not be a students first language

  ethnocentric - based off British culture - culturally biased
• How did the 11+ reproduce gender inequality

  Pass mark - 60% for boys and 80% for girls

  gendered subjects e.g. girls in sewing
• What was the comprehensive system

  1965

  aimed to make education more meritocratic by introducing catchment areas
• How did the comprehensive system reproduce social class inequality

  cheaper catchment areas have the worst schools and worst teachers with more working class students attending
• How does setting and streaming reproduce social class inequality

  middle class students are placed into higher sets/streams as they have access to the best teachers and tutors
• The Education Reform act

  1988

  Under Margaret Thatcher's government with an aim to increase competition between schools and establish a principle of marketisation and parentocracy by introducing open enrolment
• How did formula funding reinforce marketisation and Parentocracy

  Each student is worth £7000. Schools with more pupils receive more money and can improve their facilities and appear to be a better school which maintains their high place on the league table
• How did formula funding increase inequality

  Popular schools are over subscribed so schools have to sort for the best students through ability and catchment
• How did the national curriculum reinforce marketisation and parentocracy

  Every school is taught the same thing so exam results represent the quality of teaching so the best exam results = best school
• How did League tables reinforce marketisation and parentocracy

  Parents can compare schools based off exam results. Parents want to send their children to the best schools so choose schools with the best exam results
• How did League tables increase inequality

  Bartlett and Le Grand

  League Tables lead to cream skimming and silt shifting

  Cream skimming - Schools are oversubscribed so have to pick the best students which is normally white British middle class students

  Silt shifting - good schools avoid taking bad pupils that will decrease their place on the league tables
• How does Ofsted reinforce marketisation and parentocracy

  Parents can choose the bests schools for their children based off their own needs
• How does Ofsted increase inequality

  Parents from other country's and working class parents may not know where to access this information or have the time to access this information therefore unintentionally send their children to sink schools
• How did specialist schools reinforce marketisation and parentocracy


  These schools give a greater choice for parents. If they believe their child will thrive in these schools there is easy access to them (not around anymore)
• How did specialist schools increase inequality

  Those who attended these schools did better in one subject than others giving them a disadvantage in life
• How did opting out of local authority reinforce marketisation and parentocracy

  Get funding directly from the government rather than the local authority therefore schools had more choice over what they did . Part of an academy trust
• Miriam David (parentocracy)


  Increase in competition = increase in parentocracy.

  Schools now have an incentive to raise standards and therefore quality of education improves
• Gerwitz (parentocracy)


  three main types of parents

  1. privileged-skilled choosers

  2. Semi-skilled choosers

  3. Disconnected - local choosers
• Explain the Privileged-skilled choosers

  Professional middle class parents

  Use their cultural and economic capital to gain educational cultural for their children

  These parents may try and manipulate the system to get the best schools for their children
• Explain the Semi-skilled choosers

  Working class but ambitious for their children

  lack cultural capital

  rely on other peoples opinions about schools, often through social media
• Explain the Disconnected - local choosers

  Working class parents whose choices are restricted by their lack of economic and cultural capital

  Difficult to understand admissions procedures, less confident with dealing with schools and less able to manipulate the system

  Friends and safety rather than league tables and Ofsted
• Ball - Myth of parentocracy

  Marketisation legitimates inequality. Marketisation gives the appearance of parentocracy as it seems to be based of parents choice however parentocracy is a myth as middle class parents can take advantage of the system by being able to move into catchment areas.
• The New labor government 1997 - 2010

  Combined marketisation policies with social democratic principles for example: Education Action zones, Aim higher, Educational maintenance allowance, National literacy strategy
• What was the education action zones policy of 1998

  Identified cluster schools - failing schools

  Partnership with local education authorities, local businesses, churches, football clubs, health authorities. Each zone received £750,000 from the government with £250,000 being from private sector partners
• What was the Aim higher policy of 2004

  Initiatives aim at widening participation in higher education from non - traditional backgrounds, minority groups, working class, disabled. Involved guest speakers, free residential taster sessions. Delivered at universities to raise aspirations
• How did the Aim higher policy of 2004 reduce inequality

  Bridges gap between working class and middle class work and job opportunities.

  Confidence that university is for them

  breaks the cycle of deprivation.

  Provides knowledge and guidance for example with UCAS and finance
• How did the educational maintenance allowance policy of 1999 reduce inequality

  Took away material deprivation - Equalised finance between the middle class and working class.

  Can use the money to travel to a better area with better schools.
• What was the National Literacy Strategy policy of 1996

  Introduced literacy and numeracy hours in all primary schools every day.

  Reduced class sizes from 35 to 30
• How did the National Literacy Strategy policy of 1996 reduce inequality

  Raises standard of literacy and numeracy for everyone meaning the middle class and working class become more equal.

  Raises achievement through improving the restricted code.

  Identify struggling students and support them.
• The coalition government 2010 - 2015

  conservative and liberal democrats

  Cameron and Clegg

  introduced : Academies, Free schools, University admission fees, pupil premium, Free school meals, post - 16 bursary
• Academies


  Independent schools funded by the government. Free from the local authority. All primary schools and secondary schools were invited to become an academy. Argues this would drive standards up because it gave more power in the hands of head teachers
• Free schools


  Reduced inequality

  Funded by the state however ran by parents, charities, businesses, religious groups. Unhappy with the education system and offer a broad balanced curriculum. Have control over timings of school day etc
• university fees


  Increased inequality

  2012 - fees raised from £3000 a year to £9000 a year. Working class students can not afford this
• Pupil premium


  Reduced inequality

  students from a disadvantaged background get extra funding for the school. FSM students get an extra £955 a year
• Free school meals


  For all children in reception, year 1 and year 2